BREAKING IN NEW SHOES

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I am finding as we grow older we gravitate to simple creature comforts. We are not easily impressed anymore as we have already experienced a lot and want to avoid anything that might complicate our lives. No, we don’t want to do more maintenance, we want to do less. For example, I have been mowing lawns for 55 years now, which I really don’t mind, but I balk at planting anything new requiring me to do any additional weeding or watering. I also know people who have removed their swimming pools as they no longer use them, nor want to maintain them. The mantra is “Simplify, Simplify.”

Along these lines, let’s talk about shoes. When my father-in-law passed away years ago, he must have had over a dozen pair of white Keds loafers. You know the kind, simple to slip in and out of, no shoestrings to tie, and afforded comfort. I thought it odd that he had so many pairs of them in the closet, all white, some still in the box, but the family knew this had become a part of his retirement uniform and wanted to keep him happy.

Last week I bought a new pair of dress shoes for myself. Men do not typically buy a lot of shoes, at least I don’t as I tend to take good care of them. My problem though is breaking them in. Ever since I was a lad, I would develop water blisters on my heels when I got a new pair of shoes, and it was likely caused by the stiffness of the new shoes. This is why I dreaded the approach of Easter as it meant my mother would be buying me new shoes for church. I remember developing a walk like the Frankenstein monster to minimize bending my feet and rubbing the painful blisters.

I developed a similar problem when I played football and bought new shoes at the beginning of each season. Again, painful blisters plagued me. Even though I tried to cover them with an assortment of bandages and gauze, it still took time for me to break in the shoes. As an aside, I remember one time when I accidentally rubbed some alcohol-based balm, used to relieve muscle soreness, on an open blister, resulting in me shooting out of my chair with a deafening war whoop. I am sure it was rather funny to my teammates, but it was extremely painful, very painful.

Because of this background, you can understand why I am sensitive to breaking in new shoes. In the latest chapter, my new shoes fit properly, but it was a little snug over the arches of the foot. Although my feet were comfortable in the morning, by the end of the day, they were in extreme pain. Realizing I had to somehow stretch them out, I inserted some old shoetrees into the shoes to expand them. It took about a week for them to properly loosen up and are now quite comfortable, even though they turned me into a crab for several days.

I also needed a new pair of knock-around shoes for the weekend. Remembering my father-in-law, I found myself looking for a pair of simple loafers that offered comfort. No, I didn’t want to bother with the hassle of laces anymore; I just wanted something to easily slip in and out of and be comfortable in. To this end, I bought a pair of Skechers. Frankly, I had never heard of them before but, after trying on a pair, I was sold. I actually like them better than all my other shoes, both dress and casual, and I find myself wearing them more frequently as they offer the simple creature comforts I was looking for.

My only concern is that years from now, my kids are going to find nothing but Skechers in my closet, with some still in the box. Just remember, “Simplify, Simplify.”

Keep the Faith!

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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com